I went to the Great Western and Alantic Train Show yesterday and I
was kind of disappointed. This is, from what I understand, the replacement
for GATS. Well, I went to the GATS last year… same location, same weekend,
same price…
The show this year had less than HALF the vendors as last year. The building
at the fairgrounds that houses the show looked almost empty… and so did
the parking lot!
I admit that I didn’t go Saturday, so maybe there were more people on the first
day. But the vendor turnout is what surprised me.
If this continues, I don’t see it lasting another year. I also heard from one of the
vendors that the Mobile, Al show was canceled for January. This could be
rumor, I don’t know. I hope it is rumor because I was looking forward to this
show… I’ll have lots more ca***o spend after Christmas is behind me.
On the positive side, I did get eleven covered gondola BB kits for $40.
Anyone else see a drop-off in vendors at their show? Or could it just be
a one time thing? Good luck, Dave
Dissappointing but may be understandable. While it’s great to see operating layouts, many people go to the GATS and similar train shows hoping to get good deals on model railroad items. WIth the increasing popularity of Discount Internet dealers and Ebay many modelers will use the web rather than going to a place where you have to pay to park, and then pay an additional fee for admittance.
I may be inccorrect but IMHO, this is why many dealers have been shying away from the big train shows. It costs them money and time to transport their items to these shows and then hope that they can at least break even. Top it off, some customers can be quite obnoxious in their pursuit of a “hot deal”. But yet, it can still be an opportunity for LHS owners to acquire new customers and connections.
Looks like to get the “in your face” deals, modelers often go to swap meets or flea markets held by stores themselves. My LHS holds a flea market twice a year.
For me attending a GATS show delivers a different value. I enjoy the experience of fellowshipping with other modelers, seeing operating layouts and seeing new products up close that I’ve only viewed in MRR magazine or on the web. It’s challenging, but you can still get some good deals. At one show I bought a P2K E7 for $39. Not bad!
At the last GATS I attended, I saw a couple of beautiful operating layouts in different scales. Picked up some good modeling ideas including the electronic “welder” module that simulates Arc Welding. On a layout I saw several very bright white flashes coming from within a locomotive repair shop. Looked in and saw a mechanic (Preiser) welding locomotive parts. Really cool! I plan on getting one those for my layout.
Antonio,
I failed to mention that the layouts, as always, were a positive as well. I believe every scale
was represented. I really enjoyed watching the large scale. They had a train that had to be
twenty cars long. The track took up most of the building that housed the layouts.
There were also more than enough overpriced vendors. One guy was selling books at cover
price… and they were far from new. Another was selling videos and DVD’s for thirty bucks that
I have seen online for much less. Oh well, at least the parking was free.[:D]
I guess I got my eight bucks worth, I just expected more from a once a year show. Dave
Perhaps you haven’t heard that another group, Golden Spike, picked up the Tampa show date. Same time, same location. No vendors I know can figure out why GATS dropped it - there was always a waiting list. GS does a number of shows and most of the usual vendors should be there. I will.
Dave:
Frankly, most of us can’t figure out what GATS, uh, GWATS is doing here in the east. The Pensacola show was similar to the Atlanta GWATS two weeks ago - significantly fewer vendors than previous years and significantly fewer customers. They say they’re advertising, but the “crowds” at both shows were less than we would expect at a local club show.
The vendors are NOT happy with GWATS right now, which is reflected in the lower turn out.
Thanks for that info! I had not hear of it but I’m going to look into to it, especially since the show’s location is only a 5 minute drive from my home.
I attended the GATS show in Tulsa a few weeks back. I was disappointed in the number of vendors, but the quality of the show and the layouts was well worth the trip. By my estimation, there were half the normal number of vendors and only 1/4 as many people. I hate to see the shows decline as that is my way of going and mixing with my fellow modelers. Plus, I drop a lot of money at shows. I’d rather buy something I can pick up and examine. Also, I love used items I can get at a bargain.